DISClaimer (2/27/09)

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Matt Gary

Matt Gary

The Raconteurs are the latest pop act to put their toes in our country waters. Come one, come all, say I.

We have several youngsters in our listening stack today. One of them, Matt Gary, walks off with a DisCovery Award.

Mercury’s Billy Currington is on a roll. Thanks to his ultra-smart song selection, he earns this week’s Disc of the Day.

MATT GARY/The Days You Live For
Writer: Frank Myers/Wade Kirby; Producer: Frank Myers; Publisher: 16 Music/Frank Myers/Big Tractor/Curbtone, BMI; 17 Music Entertainment (www.mattgarymusic.com)
—Promising. He sings with gusto, the song is terrific and the production is right up in your face.

ONE FLEW SOUTH/Life
Writer: Chris Roberts/Billy Mann; Producer: Marcus Hummon; Publisher: Sony ATV/Fresh Pond/Turtle Victory, ASCAP/SESAC; Decca (track)
—The lyric is pure poetry. The production is a swirl of wonder. The harmonized vocals are celestial. This little piece of magic is like a country version of CSN&Y.

DARYLE SINGLETARY/Love You With The Lights On
Writer: Chris Dubois/David Cory; Producer: Greg Cole & Chuck Rhodes; Publisher: EMI April/New Sea Gayle/Universal Careers, ASCAP/BMI; Koch (615-594-7684)
—I just love this guy’s voice. The song is one of those classic country-bedroom thangs that have worked so well in this format so often. Also, the guitar solo is cool.

BILLY CURRINGTON/People Are Crazy
Writer: Bobby Braddock/Troy Jones; Producer: Carson Chamberlain & Billy Currington; Publisher: Sony ATV/Tiltawhirl/Carnival/Crozier; Mercury
—This story song knocks me out. I want to hang out with that old man in a bar, too. And when was the last time you heard somebody whistling the tune at the finale of a song?

JOEY & RORY/Play The Song
Writer: Rory Feek; Producer: Carl Jackson; Publisher: State One Songs America/A Sling and a Prayer/FSMGI, ASCAP/IMRO; Sugar Hill (track) (www.joeyandrory.com)
—They’re nominated for an ACM award. Hooray. They deserve it so much. The bopping new single is a shout-out to radio to let the listeners decide whether they like it or not. Amen to that.

THE RACONTEURS with RICKY SKAGGS & ASHLEY MONROE/Old Enough
Writer: Brendan Benson/Jack White III; Producer: Jack White III; Publisher: Chrysalis/Gladsad/Third String, ASCAP/BMI; Warner Bros.
—This is a nifty little hoedown. Ashley kicks things off, then Jack takes over with her and then Ricky providing harmony vocals. Fiddle and mandolin dominate the percussive track, so it’s actually more “country” than most of what you hear on country radio. Highly engaging.

SHeDAISY/Bucket Full Of Beautiful
Writer: Kristyn Osborn/Jann Arden Richards/Connie Harrington; Producer: Bruce Leitl, Jann Arden & Kristyn Osborn; Publisher: emErto/Universal/Girl on the Moon/Warner-Tamerlane/All for This/Made for This, ASCAP/SOCAN/BMI; Lyric Street (CDX)
—Very tuneful. It abruptly switches tempo midway through, then returns to its catchy choruses.

COLT FORD & JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY/Ride Through The Country
Writer: Colt Ford/Shannon Houchins/Jared Sciollo/David Jones; Producer: Shannon Houchins; Publisher: Average ZJS/DJKO/Phive Starr Authentic/Chris in the Creek, BMI/SESAC; Average Joe (CDX) (www.coltford.com)
—It begins with a rap. That’s right, a rap. Mercifully, John Michael eventually sings, but all too briefly. Then the insistent rapping reappears. Look, if I wanted to consume hip-hop, I’d be listening to another format.

KATHE KNIGHT/I’m Gonna Be A Country Girl Again
Writer: Buffy Sainte-Marie; Producer: John R. Craig; Publisher: Almo/Gypsy Boy, BMI; TAM (CDX) (828-758-2349)
—Buffy Sainte-Marie’s catalog should be explored by more country acts. Songs like “Take My Hand for Awhile,” “Until it’s Time for You to Go,” “The Piney Wood Hills” and “A Soulful Shade of Blue” are simply masterpieces. This ditty is another one I’ve always liked. Knight’s delivery is sweet, the track is a toe tapper, and I love the bass-singer harmony part on the choruses.

NIKKI BRITT/Do I Look Like Him
Writer: Rita Weyls; Producer: Brien Fisher & Jack Schneider; Publisher: Iron Skillet, ASCAP; Rustic (CDX) (www.rusticrecords.com)
—The little girl grows up without a daddy. After a long, long time he decides he wants to see her. Britt handles the sentimental material confidently, and the piano-dominated production supports her at every turn.

Colt Ford

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“Ride Through The Country” (feat. John Michael Montgomery)

Average Joes Entertainment
Impacting March 19

Colt Ford embodies the seemingly unusual pairing of the Southern country and hip-hop musical influences that he heard growing up in small-town America just outside Athens, Georgia, not far from the Southern hub for urban music in Atlanta. His newly styled country music is truly a blend of many American musical styles, including country, rock, hip-hop, and rhythm & blues. With this musical mixture, Colt blazes forward with a new, creative sound for the all-American everyman. Although the stories may differ for rural and urban listeners, Colt delivers a common message and emotion with an uncommon sound.

Ford’s album Ride Through The Country was released in November 2008 and has sold over 11,000 copies on tour. He averages over 40,000 plays per day on MySpace. The title track features help from John Michael Montgomery and his album features contributions from Jamey Johnson, Jeremy Popoff, Brantley Gilbert, Adrian Young (of No Doubt), Bonecrusher, Attitude, and Soni Ledfurd.

A songwriter, golfer, musician, and family man, he continues to enjoy hunting, fishing, and spending time with his wife and two children. Although he has traveled around the globe during his 7 years as a professional golfer, he still prefers to live in his small Southern hometown.

Colt Ford grew up listening to country music, and his first concert was Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers together in Georgia. He eventually gravitated towards R&B and hip-hop and made his musical debut in high school writing a rap for a friend. Colt soon found that writing came easy to him and began working with acclaimed producer Jermaine Dupri and other developing hip-hop artists.

Ford performs over 120 dates per year with a full band, so check his schedule to find out when he’ll be near you!

www.coltford.com
www.myspace.com/coltford

CMA Nashville Schools Gift Tops One Million Dollars

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The Country Music Association has once again stepped up to donate proceeds from the CMA Music Festival to Nashville public schools, and this year’s contribution — $1,011,294 — is far and away the organizations biggest yet. For the past three years, as part of its “Keep The Music Playing” program, CMA has earmarked profits from the annual festival to benefit Nashville schools, with  proceeds growing substantially each year. The money is used to purchase much-needed musical instruments for Nashville’s public school students.

The official announcement of this year’s donation, which is distributed in conjunction with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, was made at CMA’s annual artist luncheon today (3/5). The artist’s luncheon is held each in conjunction with the Country Radio Seminar.

CMT Promotes Philips To President

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Press Release—Brian Philips has been promoted to President of CMT, managing the brand’s overall portfolio including CMT, CMT Films, CMT.com, CMT Pure Country and all brand extensions, it was announced today by MTV Networks Music and Logo Group President Van Toffler. Philips formerly held the title of Executive Vice President and General Manager of CMT.

Philips will continue to be responsible for day-to-day leadership of the network’s on-air and digital businesses, including all programming, production, talent relations, marketing and promotional strategies. He will continue to be based in Nashville and report directly to Toffler.

At the helm of cable’s #1 country music network since 2001, Philips has overseen eight consecutive years of primetime ratings growth (Nielsen) at CMT.  He is widely credited with more than doubling the network’s subscriber base from 38 to 88 million households during his tenure, and expanding CMT’s reach across multiple media platforms including CMT.com, which streamed more than 100 million videos last year.

Philips’ leadership has inspired a variety of hit programs, including the critically-acclaimed flagship series CMT Crossroads, the creation of such music franchises as the CMT Music Awards and CMT Giants, and the recent debut of the syndicated radio show, CMT Radio Live. In the last year, CMT launched its highest-rated series in the channel’s history, Gone Country, and the debut of Can You Duet which became CMT’s highest-rated series premiere ever.  A second season of Can You Duet is scheduled to premiere on CMT in June.

Philips continues to shepherd CMT’s growth with aggressive efforts to maximize the brand and create new revenue in the digital, retail and film landscapes. CMT Films was formed in 2005, and has earned ratings wins with titles including Beer For My Horses, starring Toby Keith, which became CMT’s second-highest rated premiere of 2008; and Dale, which garnered the network’s first-ever Emmy nominations. Philips also serves as producer of the upcoming CMT Film Crazy Heart, starring award-winning actors Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall, with music by acclaimed producer T-Bone Burnett.

Philips is a member of the board of directors of the Country Music Association (CMA); an alumnus of Leadership Music; and a member of NARAS. He has been named a member of the Board of Trustees for the Christmas Record Trust of Special Olympics International, and is involved in several leadership capacities with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the T.J. Martell Foundation. Philips is active in politics and recently served on the Host Committee for the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate.

Gloriana (2/2009)

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Label: Emblem Music Group
Forthcoming Album: Self Titled
Current Single: “Wild At Heart”
Current Video: “Wild At Heart,” filmed in Nashville and directed by Elliot Lester (Jessica Simpson, Jason Mraz, and 30 Seconds to Mars) and executive produced by Kathleen Sigmund and Tamera Brooks.
Current Producer: Matt Serletic
Band members: Tom Gossin, Vocals/Guitar; Rachel Reinert, Vocals; Cheyenne Kimball, Vocals/Mandolin; Mike Gossin, Vocals/Guitar
Management: Emblem Management
Booking: CAA
Outside Interests: Brothers Tom and Mike are movie buffs and spend free time on tour taking in flicks. Tom also loves to hike, but had to leave his favorite companion Paris, a four-year-old Boxer, in North Carolina for the time being. Mike is an avid wakeboarder—a water sport combining water skiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques. Rachel’s two older brothers play college football, so she spends Saturdays cheering for Vanderbilt and UPenn. Beyond music, she’s also interested in the craft of make-up artistry. Cheyenne recently got her first brand new car, so right now she enjoys driving around listening to music, or plugging in her iPod at home.
Musical Influences: Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Keith Urban, Ryan Adams, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow
Twitter ID: glorianatheband

Gloriana was formed when brothers Tom Gossin (27) and Mike Gossin (24) moved to Nashville in the winter of 2008 and began collaborating with Rachel Reinert (19) and Cheyenne Kimball (18).  After a few inspiring jam sessions, a new Country band was born. Before they even had a name, the four toured the Southeast, playing for free and coming up with different band names each night.  Their first recordings soon found their way to Grammy Award winning producer Matt Serletic, who brought the group’s distinct sound to Emblem Music Group. Known for his work with Rob Thomas, Willie Nelson, and Aerosmith, Serletic co-wrote and produced the band’s debut album and first single “Wild At Heart.” Combining classic bluegrass with contemporary Country music influences, Gloriana delivers a vibrant and powerful sound featuring soaring four part harmonies.

Gloriana has been creating quite a buzz and has gained early notoriety in Country Weekly, MusicRow, and online at AOL’s The Boot, Yahoo! Music, and Clear Channel Online Music & Radio. They opened for LeAnn Rimes on select tour dates through February 2009.

Gloriana will be the opening act for the much anticipated Taylor Swift Fearless Tour 2009, bringing their fresh new sound to the 49 cities on the outing, which officially kicks off in Evansville, Indiana April 23. The six month run will also include American Idol alum Kellie Pickler and will make stops in several major cities including Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago, and Minneapolis, as well as Canada.

40th CRS Ready To Rock

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With tonight’s “unofficial” opening event — the Country Music DJ and Radio hall of Fame dinner honoring longtime WSIX Nashville morning man Gerry House — the 40th Anniversary edition of the Country Radio Seminar is off and running. Additional Hall of Fame honorees include Chuck Collier (DJ Hall of Fame) and Bob McKay and Moon Mullins (Radio Hall of Fame). Merle Haggard will receive the Career Achievement Award and Shelia Shipley Biddy will accept this year’s President’s Award.

Wednesday’s official opening will feature a not-to-be-missed keynote address from marketing guru Seth Godin and will be followed by the Motivational Speaker/Life Coach panel, hosted by former country artist Sylvia Hutton.

This year’s Artist Radio Taping Session will be combined with the afternoon A.R.T.S. panel. Songwriters Jimmy Wayne, Kelley Lovelace, Ashley Gorley and Jonathan Singleton are set to perform at ASCAP’s KCRS Live! Later in the evening, Tim McGraw will host the Music City Jam.

Thursday has been designated Music Industry Town Meeting Day, with single-day tickets available for $265. The day’s agenda will include the Tech Track and Small Market Track panels, with a total of sixteen panels offered throughout the day. Incidentally, CRB has announced that free, full-length video clips of the seminar’s daily panels will be made available for same-day viewing at their website, www.CRB.org.

Miranda Lambert and Jake Owen will perform at Thursday’s Sony Music Nashville luncheon, while this year’s WCRS Live! will feature performances from Bobby Pinson, Paul Overstreet, Josh Turner and Jamey Johnson.

Friday dubbed “Radio Sales Day,” with single-day admission available for $370 kicks off with the Manager’s Breakfast, followed by CRS-40’s second research study, showcasing findings from the Edison Research/CRB National Country P1 Study 2009. Little Big Town and Darius Rucker will perform at Friday’s Capitol Nashville luncheon, while Lady Antebellum, James Otto, Kellie Pickler, Chuck Wicks and The Zac Brown Band will take the stage for this year’s New Faces show.

CRS-40 will culminate at Lower Broadway’s Cadillac Ranch with the “40th Anniversary Jam: A Musical Thanks to Radio.” Artists including Emerson Drive, Andy Griggs, Julianne Hough, Jamie O’Neal, James Otto, Blake Shelton, Jimmy Wayne, Chuck Wicks, Mark Wills and Darryl Worley will hit the stage to perform hits from the last 40 years.

“We have created a good balance of education, entertainment and networking opportunities, the importance of which cannot be overstated in our industry,” says CRB Executive Director Ed Salamon.

Can Artists Benefit From Skittles Site Concept?

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The new Skittles website proves the idea that innovation does not always require the invention of a new wheel. Sometimes it is merely rearranging wheels already available. Developed by Agency.com, Skittles.com is more a social network hub than a static information depot. The new candy company digital address employs a mix of content from Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. It also bears study by music industry marketers.

Ricarado Zane, President of Agency.com, acknowledges that the concept for the new presentation is built on previous work. “If you look at a site like Musicovery.com, it’s a floating nav concept that accesses Pandora, iTunes, a bunch of stuff depending on what people and users are saying. And I can’t say our idea is a pure play idea, either. It builds and steals from others. But it’s the first time it’s been used in [consumer product goods] that I’ve known about. And it’s the first time it’s been used not to just access other areas of what people are talking about Skittles, but it’s also a way to propagate that and stimulate that. So to that end I think it’s quite unique.” Zane’s quotes are contained in an Ad Age story that highlights the new approach because it energizes consumers. “Skittles as a brand is all about embracing and empowering the conversation online,” says an Agency.com spokeswoman. “Just look at the YouTube entries and their Facebook page. It’s kind of a natural evolution for them moving in to something like this.”

This approach to capturing consumers comes at a time when some social networks are also searching for/developing new business models to produce revenue. Twitter, for example, which recently received a $35 million round of venture capital, is now thought to be looking at itself and its 6 million users as a new style search engine able to report to marketers and brands [and perhaps music artists] on real time sentiment and conversation. (That would be valuable indeed in helping labels determine the viability of new artists and songs.)

Clear Channel Reports $5 Billion Loss

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CC Media Holdings has reported a $5 billion fourth quarter loss due to a  major change in the value of its assets such as radio licenses and other permits. CC Media Holdings is the vehicle used by Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital to privatize Clear Channel Communications last year in what was reportedly a $17.9 billion transaction. The $5 billion loss on revenues of $1.6 billion compares with a fourth quarter profit of $321 million on revenue of $1.9 billion in same period a year earlier. CC Media reports its radio revenue fell 13% in the fourth quarter and revenue from its Outdoor Advertising business dropped 16%.

According to the Wall Street Journal, CC Media has long-term debt obligations of $19.5 billion and “debt-ratings agencies are concerned it might not be able to meet all its financial obligations. Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services downgraded Clear Channel’s debt last month, while Moody’s Investors Service has the company on review for a possible downgrade.”

Looking at the full year 2008, CC Media Holdings accumulated $6.7 billion in revenue, a 3% drop from 2007 revenues. Broken out solely by radio, overall revenue for 2008 fell by 7%.

CC Media Holdings CEO Mark Mays commented, “Although CC Media Holdings revenues were down in 2008, our radio and outdoor businesses performed well compared to their sectors. These are challenging times which have taken their toll on many of our advertisers. However, macroeconomic conditions will continue to present a stark reality where disciplined focus on working with our advertising partners, cost containment and the flexibility to adjust to change are essential. Most importantly, we are so appreciative of the tremendous efforts expended by our employees to meet the demands of these difficult times.”

Click Here to read the official earnings release.

Strait Sells Out Dallas

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Create a package with George Strait, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough and it should be no surprise that it would sell out a venue even as large as the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. The June 6 concert cleared out all its tickets in exactly one hour for the inaugural event. The new stadium is being billed as the largest and most technologically advanced sports and entertainment venue in the world. The $1.1 billion structure features two massive arches, a retractable roof and seating for over 80,000. The venue also includes 300 luxury suites and more.  http://www.stadium.dallascowboys.com

Lifenotes: Ernie Ashworth, David Lipscomb, Charlie Parker

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“Talk Back Trembling Lips” Singer Ernie Ashworth Passes Away

Grand Ole Opry member and country hitmaker Ernie Ashworth passed away March 2 at the age of 80 in Nashville. Born in Huntsville, Alabama, the singer enjoyed several top 10 singles from the late ‘50s through the ‘60s and wrote songs for artists including Little Jimmy Dickens, Carl Smith and Johnny Horton. Ashworth is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Services will be  Wednesday (3/4) at Anthony Funeral Home, 337 McMurry Blvd. in Hartsville, TN, with visitation from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. and a Masonic service beginning at 8:00 p.m. Visitation will continue on Thursday (3/5) from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., with funeral services beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Nashville’s Woodlawn Cemetery.

David Lipscomb Memorial Service Set

A memorial service for Christian-music executive David Lipscomb will be held tomorrow (Tuesday, March 3) at 11 a.m. at The People’s Church in Franklin.
David Lipscomb was the co-founder of Overflow Management, Inc. with partner Geoff Moore. The Christian-music firm handles Moore, as well as the recording bands The Afters, Hyperstatic Union and StorySide B. He was also active in the Gospel Music Association, serving as a MAPS committee member during the annual Gospel Music Week celebrations.

A trusted mentor and adviser to many in his field, David Lipscomb died at age 45 on February 25 of pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife Robi and by sons D.J. and Dale, daughter-in-law Amanda, mother Sophie and sister Tina. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Contribution information can be found at www.carefordavid.com.
The People’s Church is at 828 Murfreesboro Road in Franklin. — Robert K. Oermann

Former BMI Employee Charlie Parker Passes

Longtime BMI employee Charlie Parker passed away on Friday afternoon, Feb. 27. Many of his former coworkers say that they have very fond memories of Parker’s 31 years as the PRO’s custodian prior to his retirement. Visitation with Parker’s family will be Wed., March 4, from 5-7PM; followed by the funeral at 7 PM, at Big Harpeth Primitive Baptist Church, 522 Meridian St., Nashville, TN 37207, (615) 256-7375.